Draft-gear.



l E. ENDSLEY. ohAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28,1915.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

3 SHEETS SHEET l l mwoz;

WITNESSES INVENTOR wzal L. E. ENDSLEY.

DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1915.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WETNEQzSES Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR L. E. ENDSLEY'.

DRAFT GEAR.

APPLIQATION FILED JUNE 28. 1915.

PEG 4 FEG. 5

v LAKE wrmEssEs j" 0?. KM mw mam-sw g Parana orrrca.

LOUIS E. ENDSLEY, 0F. PITTSBURGH, PMINSYLVANIA.

DRAFT-GEAR.

tween two cars, as in coupling, and heavy draft strains in long trains. This force is often considerably above the capacity of the present draft gear, which is usually not over 200,000 pounds, while the force, such as the impact force, frequently runs up to a million pounds, and because of the necessity of taking care of it in a short distance, say from 2 to 2?; inches, throws extremely heavy strains upon the underframe, frequently causing the fracturev of or other injury to the underframe or draft gear.

In carrying or. caring for ordinary strains,

however, it isldesirable that the travel of the standard draft gear shall not be more than above distance of either. two or two and a half inches. By the present invention, I am enabled to take. care of the severe or excess strains and relieve the underframe from the same without increasing the nor- -mal distance of travel of the standard gear.

To these ends,,my invention consists in a compound draft gear formed of a secondary draft gear mounted on the .car underframe, and a primary draft gear mounted. in said secondary draft gear, such as by a floating gear carrier connected with said secondary draft gear. It also comprises certain other improvements; for example, in the secondary draft gear compressed to sustain approximately the capacity of the primary draft gear, so as to enable the priniary draft gear to sustain all ordinary strains and operate as if supported directly in the underframe, while in case of excess strain, the secondary draft gear absorbs and cares for the same. It also includes the employment of spring operated gear in the secondary draft gear to make it practicable to have the same sustain the normalxstrams upon the primary draft gear.

In the accompanying drawing; Figure 1; is a view of the improved draft gear mount- Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Mar. a, rare.

Application filed June as, 1915. Serial No; 36,722.

ed in the underframe, being shown partly 1n plan and partly in horizontal section. F 1g. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1, through the primary draft gear; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3-3, Fig. 1, through the secondary draft gear; Fig. 4 is a front view of the car frame showing the means of supporting the draft gear, the draw bar being shown in section. Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5, Fig. 1.; and Fig. 6 a cross section on the line 66, Fig. 1.

My invention may be applied in a variety of ways, the drawing showing one embodiment .of the invention, as employed with :well known types of draft gear. The underframe 2 has the end sill 3 and bolster 4, the usual center or draft sills 5 being extended towardthe end sill, but not reachingto the same, and being connected to the end sills by the top plate 6 of the underframe. Outside of the usual draft sills 5 are supplemental draft sills 7.extending between the bolster and end sill, and the cheek operated draft gears. These draft gears are connected'by yokes 11 with what'I have termed the floating gear carrier 12, which I have illustrated as a form of heavy steel casting, which is connected to the secondary draft 'ge'ars through the yokes 11 by means of keys 13, the draft gears being confined between the follower plates 14, 15. It is to be noted that 3 each such yoke 11 has the cross .wall or diaphragm 16 near its forwardend, and that the front forward plate '14 is supported against the same. In order to compress each secondary draft gear 10 to the desired capacity for sustaining the primary draft gear 20, the forward follower plate 14: rests against this diaphragm 16, the draft gear is assembled within the yoke, and by pressure against the rear follower plate 15 is compressed to the desired degree, serted between the rear end wall 18 of the yoke, so sustaining such secondary draft gear under high compression. The floatin gear carrier 12, having the secondary dra t gears so compressed and mounted in its yokes, 1s sustained in' position where two such secondary draft gears are used, between the shoulders 18 of the cheek plates 8 and 9. ,The floating gear carrier has formed or cast with it the floating cheek plates 21, which extend back between the mam draft sills 5 and in which is mounted theprlmary draft gear 20 which may be of any desired type, the type illustrated in the drawing being the Westinghouse draft gear. This draft gear carries th cou ler 22, its coupler shank 23 being connects to the yoke 24 and thedraft gear having the follower plates 25, 26, by which it is mounted between the floating cheek plates 21 of the floating gear carrier 12. The primary draft gear is supported in the floating gear carrler by the bearing or cover plate 25 bolted to the gear carrier, and the bearing or cover plate 26 bolted to the main draft SlllS 8. The entire compound draft gear formed of the gear carrier with its secondary draft gears 10 and its primary draft gear 20 is supported in the underframe by means of thefront support or link 28 sup ported on the end sill 3. There are also the cross supports 29 which are bolted to the main draft sills 5 and to the supplemental or outer draft sills 7 (see Fig. 5), which also prevent spreading of theunderframe.

These cross supports also carry lugs '32 to,

sustain the secondary draft gear. The front support or link 28 is shown as connected to the end sill casting 30 riveted to the end sill, and is secured to said end sill casting by means of pins 31 passing horizontally through the front support 28.

In the preferred form of the draft gear,

as illustrated, I employ the floating gear carrier. extending across in front of the main draft sills, which are connected to the end sill above the gearcarrier, either directly, or through the main cover or floor plating of the car, and locate the secondary draft gear" on each side of-the main draft sills, while the floating cheek plates of the gear carrier extend between the main sills and receive and support the primary draft gear. As so arranged, assuming that the rimary draft gear has a capacity of about 200,000 pounds, the secondary draft gears are compressed to hold about this force say about 100,000 pounds each-and they thus hold the gear carrier 12 practically without motion, or stationary, until practically the capacity of the primary draft gear is absorbed, permitting it to operate as though mounted directly in the underframe within the distance, say, of two to two and after which the filler block 17 is in- 1 .course, go up to a half million,

a half inches. When, however, the force exceeds the capacity of the primary draft gear,-for example, where in draft'action, the primary draft gear is closed between the follower plates 25, 26the draft strain is then transmitted to the secondary draft gears 10, which sustain or absorb the surplus force or excess strain, which may, of or even a million pounds, draft force. In the same way, in sustaining impact strains when the primary draft gear is practically closed, the surplus impact force is transmitted to the secondary draft gears-for example, through the coupler horn 33 contacting with the floating gear carrier 12,-so transmitting the excess impact strains through to the secondary draft gears 10. In such operation, in draft or in impact, the strains are transmitted from the compound draft gear through the cheek plates 8 secured to the main draft sills and the supplemental draft sills, and practically all possible frame while protecting it from injury. This is accomplished in a very small range of movementsay, in ordinary cars, of not more than two to two and a half inches extra movement over that of the primary draft gear.

Il'fWill be noted that the primary draft gear is illustrated as supported upon a lower level than the secondarydraft gear. I prefer this arrangement in orderthat the coupler horn 33 may be more nearly 1n line with the secondary draft gears in transmitting the surplus force thereto.

It is to be noted hat my invention may be employed in a variety of forms, such as will be understood by the skilled car engineer, and these are intended to be withthe scop of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A compound draft gear formed of a secondary draft gear mounted on the underframe, and a primary draft gear mounted on said secondary draft gear.

2. A compound draft gear having a secondary draft gear mounted on the car underframe, a floating gear carrier connected with said secondary draft gear. and a primary draft gear mounted onsaid floating gear carrier connected withasaid second ary draft gear, and a primary draft gear mounted on said floating gea'r carrier.'

3. A compound draft gear having a primary draft gear and a secondary dra gear said primary draft gear mounted on said secondary draft gear and arranged to receive the main initial draft gear strains.

4. A compound draft gear having a secondary draft gear mounted on the underframe and carrying a primary draft gear onsaid secondary draft gear, the secondary strains are thus transmitted to the underon the primary draft gear.

6. A compound draft gear having a secondary draft gear mounted on the underframe, a floating gear carrier forming a part of said secondary draft gear and having floating cheek plates, and a primary draft gear mounted and. sustained on said floating cheek plates.

7. A compound draft gear having two secondary draft gears mounted on the underframe, one on each side of the main draft sills and a primary draft gear mounted on said secondary draft gear between the main draft sills.

8. A compound draft gear having two secondary draft gears mounted on the un derframe on each side of the main draft sills, a floating gear carrier mounted on said two secondary draft gears and having floating cheek plates between said main draft sills, and a primary draft gear mounted on the floating cheek plates of the gear carrier, and sustaining the draft bar.

9. A compound draft gear formed of two secondary draft gears mounted on the underframeone on each side of the main draft sillsa floating gear carrier connected to said two secondary draft gears and havsills, and a primary draft gear mounted on said floating cheek plates and carrying the draft bar, the secondary draft gears being compressed to sustain the draft upon primary draft gear.

10. The combination of. an underframe having main draft sills and supplemental draft sills outside thereof, each provided with cheek plates, twosecondary draft gears mounted on said cheek plates between said main draft sills and said supplemental draft the sills; and a primary draft gear carried by said secondary draft gears between the main draft sills.

11. A compound draft gear having a V secondary draft gear mounted on the underframe, a floating gear carrier connected thereto, and a primary draft gear mounted on the floating gear carrier, the yoke of the Y secondary draft gear being connected to the 'fi-oating gear carrier and having a cross-diaphragm, the secondary draft gear being spring-operated and compressed against said cross-diaphragm.

12. A compound draft gear having a secondary draft gear mounted on the underframe a floating gear carrier connected thereto, and a primary draft gear mountedon the floating gear carrier, the yoke of the secondary draft gear being connected to the floating gear carrier and having a cross diaphragm, the secondary draft gear being spring-operated and compressed against said cross-diaphragm, and a filler block inserted between the rear end-wall of the yoke and the secondary draft gear to hold the secondary draft gears under compression.

In testimony whereof, I the said Louis E. 7s

ENDsLEY, have hereunto set my hand.

LOUIS E. ENDSLEY.

Witnesses:

; JOHN 1*. WM, 3. it. KELLER. 

